BELAGAVI
Opposition leader in the legislative council and former Karnataka Water Resources Minister K S Eshwarappa has criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress leaders from both the riparian states of Goa and Karnataka, for the delay in implementation of the Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project.
Addressing mediapersons in Vijayapura (Bijapur), Eshwarappa said he has appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to set aside enough time for discussion over Mhadei project in the upcoming winter session in Belagavi.
He blamed the Congress leaders in Karnataka and Goa for complicating the Mhadei water diversion issue and said it was only because of the Congress party that the issue moved to the Supreme Court while the Tribunal was set up at the behest of Congress leaders in Goa.
“Instead of finding ways to get the issue resolved effectively, the Congress leaders were busy politicising the Mhadei water diversion issue, due to which Goa had sufficient time in consolidating its case with the Tribunal,” Eshwarappa said.
It may be recalled that Karnataka government had commenced the work on the controversial project in September 2006 during the BJP-JDS coalition government headed by H D Kumarswamy. Eshwarappa who was the minister for water resources had taken major initiative in implementing the project after which the BJP had strengthened its political base in north Karnataka region.
Meanwhile, Karnataka's Minister for Mines and Geology Vinay Kulkarni has claimed that Congress leaders from Goa had nothing to do with the Goa government postponing the meet of chief ministers of the riparian States of the Mhadei.
Speaking to mediapersons during the ‘Kittur Vijayotsava’ at Kittur Chennamma Circle in Hubballi on Sunday, Kulkarni said it was Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar who had to take a decision on attending the meet and not the opposition Congress leaders.
Condemning the attack on Kannada-speaking families in Tisk-Usgao, Kulkarni claimed that the Karnataka government had ensured the safety of citizens of Goa during protests over the Mhadei issue.
“Similarly, the Goa government should take steps to ensure the safety of Kannadigas in Goa,” the minister said.
